Interviews with NICA Student-Athletes and pieces written by student-athletes
In late October, 650 student athletes, 300 coaches and other assorted friends and family gathered in the Pennsylvania mountains to have an adventure. The Raystown Radness and PICL Jam was an end-of-season celebration for members of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League (PICL). There was no racing involved, but plenty of riding.
Coach John Buchanan welcomed two new riders to the Linganore Mountain Bike Team in Maryland in September. A pair of siblings moved from Texas with their family so that their father and older brother could receive medical care for severe illnesses. Although it has been a very difficult time for everyone involved, Coach John shares how he has seen joy expand throughout the family since they joined NICA.
NICA introduced a new generation of female cyclists to the sport. Now, they’re giving back to the programs that started it all.
In all his years of riding and coaching, Evan Kruse never considered that one difficulty faced by young riders is adapting to the occasional isolation of mountain biking. Even when there are other bikers on the trail, riders can sometimes feel all alone in the middle of nowhere.
We had the honor and privilege of having a conversation with a small group of NICA student-athletes during our 2022 National Conference in Philadelphia. Elizabeth Allen, Associate Director of Organizational Development at Valley Youth House and a Board Member of the PA League, facilitated this honest, heartfelt, and fun exchange.
Great things happen when young adults are encouraged to do their best. A group of teens in Houston, Texas, are waking up to the reality that they can make a difference in their community, one shovel at a time. Bryce Cole is what you could call a puritan in mountain biking. He is a Houston-based trail advocate and Head Coach for the West Houston Composite Team. When he’s not working with local NICA student-athletes to maintain a beautiful trail system within his community, he works his regular 9-5 job like everyone else.
We are excited to announce our new partnership with The Feed! The Feed is an online resource to get all the nutrition, performance supplements, and recovery gear you need to get more out of your training. The Feed has over 300 of your favorite brands, and you can even set up a subscription box to be sure you’re never reaching into an empty box for the fuel you need before a ride.
We are incredibly proud of all our graduating student-athletes and wish them all the best as they step into a new chapter in their lives. Thank you NICA Seniors for your dedication and commitment to your teams, leagues and the national NICA community!
This fall the Wisconsin League hosted an essay contest for their student-athletes to describe how mountain biking has made an impact on them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to hear how mountain biking helped Wisconsin student-athlete Kylie Krayer stay connected with friends and manage stress and anxiety.
This fall the Maryland League hosted an essay contest for their student-athletes to describe how mountain biking has made an impact on them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to hear how Maryland student-athlete, Oliver Slade, stayed healthy and gained fitness through mountain biking.